The present invention relates generally to transfer grids for ferrous and non-ferrous metal plates and the like. More particularly, the present invention relates to inserts clamped thereto and supporting rollers which engage plates being transferred so that friction between the plates and the grid is avoided or reduced to thereby eliminate or significantly reduce grid wear. The present invention also relates generally to methods using such transfer grids for cooling such plates.
My prior U.S. Pat. Nos. 5,265,711 and 5,301,785, which are hereby incorporated herein by reference, disclose the clamping of roller supporting inserts in transfer grid pockets for moving of the plates over the rollers. The roller is rotatably mounted by means of a bushing on an axle the ends of which are secured in apertures in plates. Members forward and aft of the roller and sandwiched between and welded to the plates form a frame in which the roller is mounted.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,472,179 suggests a cooling bed plate transfer grid insert which comprises a cast housing which has front and rear end flange portions which seat on successive cross members of the transfer grid and which is clamped by means of J-bolts to these cross members. A roller is mounted in a central slot in the housing. The roller is mounted on the central journal portion of a pin, and the pin further includes rectangular end portions slidably received in vertical slots defined by the housing at opposite sides of the roller. A pair of adjustment screws threadedly engage the end portions of the pin and engage the bottom walls of the side slots so that joint rotation of the screws raises and lowers the roller in a translatory manner.
Such an arrangement is not considered to be sufficiently reliable under the rugged conditions encountered in moving hot heavy plates over cooling beds and is considered to be limited in its capacity to handle very heavy plates.
The inserts disclosed in my aforesaid patents have worked well. However, it is considered desirable to install the inserts in a grid at a remote location (insert supplier""s business location) where suitably skilled workers are available to allow the cooling bed operator to make the changeover more quickly and inexpensively and without the need on site for people skilled in insert installation. When the inserts are removed, such as for transport or maintenance, the roller height must be again adjusted. However, the roughness which is typical of unfinished portions of the castings (lower flanges of grid cross-portions) increases the difficulty of adjusting roller height by means of adjusting screws. It is therefore also considered desirable to be able to remove the inserts for transport or maintenance and re-install them at the customer""s place of business without the necessity of having to adjust the roller height again, without the need on site for people skilled in insert installation.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide an insert which may be removed and re-installed without the need to adjust roller height during such re-installation.
In order to allow removal and re-installation of an insert without the need to adjust roller height during such re-installation, in accordance with the present invention, a non-adjustable fixed height of the roller is set by suitable means such as, for example, pins or brackets or other means which engage the grid so that the roller is at the fixed height, the height-setting means being dis-engageable from the insert body and the grid and re-engageable therewith without the fixed height changing when the height-setting means is re-engaged with the body and the grid.
The above and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will be apparent in the following detailed description of the preferred embodiments thereof when read in conjunction with the accompanying drawings wherein the same reference numerals denote the same or similar parts throughout the several views.